TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 641 



the increase ■was due. These be referred to the general progress of the world, the 

 throwing open to commerce of the Pacific regions of China, Japan, California, &c., 

 the colonization of New Zealand and parts of Australia, and the discovery of gold 

 in California and Australia. These events bad notbing to do with free trade or 

 fair trade, and it was essential to regard tlie real conditions for a right understand- 

 ing of them and the avoidance of misleading authorities. Another influence in 

 our favour had been the revolution by which timber and hemp, as constructive 

 materials of shipping, bad been replaced by iron and steel, the former being im- 

 ported from abroad, and the new materials, -with coal for working, being of home 

 production. In these materials too "we had an advantage over many countries. 

 Sailing vessels had been displaced by steam. It was a matter of moment in the 

 economic condition of the nation that home resources should be applied, and in the 

 residt this produced enormous advantages. Our duty -was to studj- all means bv 

 which our national wealth can be augmented under the most favourable condi- 

 tions. 



2. Our Sailors — for Defence and Commerce. At Home and Abroad. 

 By C. Pfoundes, F.E.G.S. 



As the great maritime nation of the age, it is necessary that we be prepared 

 for all emergencies, and fully able to protect our ships and our territories at home 

 and abroad. 



The separation between the seamen and officers of the navy and those of the 

 mercantile marine is widening year by year, in consequence of the special technical 

 training for all ranks in the navy. The naval reserve, merchant seamen, and 

 volunteer naval brigades are not encouraged or supported. The national love of 

 'a sailor's life' is not fully developed and taken advantage of; and the merchant 

 seaman is not rising in the social scale, but rather deteriorating physically and 

 otherwise. 



Recent essays and discussions point more to the details of the education, &c., 

 of the naval officer. The ' seaman ' is treated as a very minor matter ; and the 

 capacity of our colonies to furnish a large contingent of the very best material is 

 altogether ignored by the modern navy men. 



The thoroughly efficient, fully adequate, and economical provision of any requisite 

 number of seamen appears most necessary, from a practical standpoint, as seen by 

 one who has had personal experience amongst the classes that would give us the 

 raw material. 



History and statistics point out what should be copied and what avoided, whilst 

 fully considering the change in the condition of politics, society, ships and guns. 

 Although not so much a military as a maritime people, we have greatly encouraged 

 our rifle volunteers, but completely ignored, if not actually discouraged, naval 

 volunteers ; certainly in no way has a taste for sea life been "fostered amongst our 

 youths, and the time is not far distant when this negligence will produce disastrous 

 results. Second-rate powers are forming navies, that combined would prove dan- 

 gerous enemies, especially if allied to any ' great power ' we might be at war with. 

 Remote China, or Japan, or even a South American republic, might send to sea 

 vessels that would cause us Fevious trouble, if not actually inflict great injury on 

 our shipping or distant possessions. 



In the mother country and the colonies tliere are thousands of men who follow 

 a seafaring life, many men of means fond of boating and travelling, not a few men 

 who have been 'seafarers' at one period of their life. There are numbers of pen- 

 sioners, trained men capable of giving primary instruction; and there are tens of 

 thousands of young men on the seaboard and inland, who would be glad to 'volun- 

 teer/ if only this ' wealth of material ' were duly organised and received a fair meed 

 of support and encouragement here at home and in our colonies. 



1882. T T 



